Words by Samantha Wolstenholme
Touring in Australia is a tough gig for international bands, particularly in a niche genre, given our isolated location. That’s why it’s so gratifying that we have such a wealth of phenomenal, groundbreaking heavy music talent in our backyard, who are able to deliver the full metal concert experience in a much more accessible, affordable way. Northlane may be an ARIA award-winning household name in metal on a global scale now, yet they continue to make the effort to connect with their Aussie fans as often as possible. They’ve embarked on this tour of ten regional show dates with the express aim of bringing their world-class, spectacular live experience to intimate stages across Australia, supported by a star-studded array of exciting homegrown acts. Considering I’ve only ever seen Northlane perform on huge stages or at festivals, complete with their meticulous stagecraft and dazzling lighting display, I’m curious to see how this translates in a smaller, more intimate setting.
Newcastle’s experimental metal juggernaut Reliqa opens up the pit with their quintessential blend of mathcore madness, soaring melodies and polished charm. Cave is a classic opening number for them, beginning at a slow creep then launching into staunch chuggy breakdowns, and I can feel the colossal bass tone reverberating through my entire body. Despite this being a very bass-heavy live mix so far, the blistering shreds and groovy riffs of Killstar (The Cold World) kick the mosh into gear with very little effort or prompting. Reliqa do have quite the cult following up here in Brisbane, and frontwoman Monique Pym maintains a charming, easy rapport with the eager crowd. The Flower inspires a singalong, with shreds as fluid as a waterfall flowing from Brandon Hutcherson and Miles Knox, until the deathcore breakdown splits the mosh in half for tonight’s first wall of death.
Sariah is a glorious burst of light with stunning belts from Pym. We’re treated to a new song, a djenty wavecore banger that engages hyperdrive mode by chaotically progressing from disco beats on the cymbals, to polyrhythmic grooves, then a crushing breakdown. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, this is a winning formula. The rage rave continues during recent single Your Touch, which offers similar EDM vibes, and the mosh jostles away as the quartet closes out with the technical masterpiece Physical, which is basically a dance party for guitar nerds. Reliqa ends on a high note after summoning a wild circle pit, and the particular image of someone dressed as Mario, fight dancing in the mosh, will live rent-free in my head for a long time to come.
Representing Sydney’s roster of heavy music talent tonight is Inertia, and after a cinematic, synthy nu-metal intro, the quartet barrels straight into chunky guitar chugs, beginning their descent into metalcore fury. Unfortunately, there are a few issues with Inertia’s live mix as well – the guitar and bass are a little boomy, and vocals could be higher in the mix — but the crowd doesn’t seem to mind as the mosh is in full swing, and the band maintain fantastic energy on stage. Quieter moments in between breakdowns allow for Julian Latouche’s clean vocals to shine through, which I’m grateful for because his pop punk-tinged tenor croons are as gorgeous as his fry screams are ruthlessly feral. Speaking of feral, fight dancing reigns supreme in the mosh as the band cycles through a series of bangers, including Static and the ferocious Dominion, the latter for which Latouche orders us to “get the fuck up” amid frenzied strobe lights – always a guaranteed riot starter.
Dominion is easily Inertia’s most brutal track so far, inspiring an unprompted wall of death. Everyone in this crowd has really shown up in the mood to mosh tonight. The band then introduces a brand new track that is very much a hip-swinger, channelling Diamond Construct meets Silent Planet vibes. Latouche remarks that Too Far Gone is about never giving up on your dream, which is fitting for them right now, as touring with Northlane “is our dream come true”. I’m not crying, you’re crying! Curiously, the band chooses Lament as their closing track, to “end on a sad note” – possibly a comment on the times we’re living in? Either way, I’m sure the experience of touring with their idols inspires the opposite of a lament.
The lights are cut, the stage goes black, and ambient synths herald the beginning of the headliners’ set. Northlane have brought a couple of their space-age lights to the smaller stages of this regional tour, the square strobe sequences offering a little taste of their full wavecore live experience. Crashing into opener Carbonised, at first, all I can hear is drums – some of the nuances of their live mix seem to be getting lost in translation from the much larger-scale settings the band usually perform in now. However, once again, the crowd are unfazed; the mosh lets loose, charging as the breakdown hits at “I’ve got no heroes anymore”. Fortunately, the mix has improved considerably by the third number, Miasma, which is just as well because the synths and vocals are a highlight in this track. Frontman Marcus Bridge, looking sharp in a crimson suit with a cropped blazer, covers Winston McCall’s guest vocals in this track tonight, and he absolutely nails it. It’s a two-step tornado in the pit right from the opening line “Catch my vibe, I’m about to ignite”, and between the djenty grooves, punishing growls and super-fly holographic sunnies sported by guitarist/synthmaster Jon Deiley, everyone really is catching those vibes.
It’s disco dance time for 4D, which inspires a rousing singalong, and then another wall of death. Talking Heads, always a searing track, has a particularly sharp edge tonight – something about the way the merciless riffs hit fuels an infernal fight pit. The djent rage raves of Kraft whip up a circle pit that blooms from the eye of the storm and swallows half the room. You can feel the heat radiating from the swirling bodies as breakdowns and dystopian synths pump away. If you like your rave experiences tinged with a fair amount of aggression, then a Northlane show is certainly for you. The harrowing Bloodline brings forth the crowd surfers as Bridge’s tormented yet technically superb vocal performance captivates us, bolstered by similarly scorching screams from Josh Smith. Dante and Echo Chamber lighten the mood while elevating the uniquely exuberant energy generated by a crowd that is half-moshing, half-dancing at all times.
A seamless, jaw-droppingly impressive blast beat sequence transitions into Clarity, and truly, those blast beats are relentless – but drummer/absolute weapon Nic Pettersen is barely breaking a sweat. We take a brief detour into the back catalogues with Worldeater, in which the quartet executes a deliciously delayed drop into the breakdown, and this unleashes hell in the mosh. By contrast, Afterimage is luminous, bathing us in melodic warmth, the lights twirling hypnotically in the background, before the brutality strikes. Then the set is brought to a satisfying close with Clockwork, complete with circle pits and a joyous sing-along. It’s been a treat tonight to see Northlane in such an intimate setting at this point in their wildly successful career, and supported by stellar Australian talent. They never fail to light up any stage they grace – both figuratively and literally.
NORTHLANE AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2026 — REMAINING DATES
Wednesday 1 April: Miranda Hotel, Miranda NSW #
Thursday 2 April: Drifters Wharf, Central Coast NSW #
Saturday 11 April: Torquay Hotel, Torquay VIC ~
Sunday 12 April: Stay Gold, Melbourne VIC ***
Friday 17 April: Altar Bar, Hobart TAS ^
Saturday 18 April: Forth Pub, Forth TAS ^*** Northlane appearing only
# w/ Inertia + Reliqa
~ w/ Inertia + Heartline
^ w/ Reliqa + Heartline
Thanks to Bigmouth PR
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